What were the major developments in 2013 for global HRO?

At NGA we have witnessed 4 major trends for global HR outsourcing in 2013.

First and foremost, cloud has become the platform of choice for HRO. Secondly, we have seen HR outsourcing providers get really smart with process automation, driving efficiency and compliance based on software 'robots', powering HR service centers and HR solution landscapes. Thirdly and specifically on the global playing field, we have seen payroll BPO and RPO stand up as the main drivers (some would say survivors) of HR outsourcing. Lastly, we expect to see HR outsourcing to fit into a wider Global Business Services ecosystem, especially in view of the two trends described above. This trend to Global Business Services builds on demand for further standardization of services, globalization and continued cost efficiencies.

In 2014, we expect all 4 trends of 2013 to further mature, with strong adoption of cloud & SaaS technology, and a strong shift of core HR technologies. Also, we expect big data to start making an impact on HRO.

As SaaS adoption matures and further spreads, we expect the 'as a Service' paradigm to widen. According to NGA, ‘Talent Management as a Service’ and ‘Integration as a Service' will be on the rise in 2014. Other top trends in HR Outsourcing are automation, globalization and standardization.